Adjustable threshold



Sept 24, 1968 F. c. PETERSON 3,402,512

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United States Patent O 3,402,512 ADJUSTABLE THRESHOLD Francis C.Y Peterson, 1403 Wells Ave., Webster Groves, Mo. 63119 Filed May 31, 1966, Ser. No. 553,955 5 Claims. (Cl. 49-468) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable threshold having side plates pivotally connected thereto and inwardly turned flanges therebelow for slidably receiving a nut-pedestal for adjusting the height of the threshold above the oor, said adjustment being made by inserting a wrench through a hole in the threshold through which a vertical screw is later inserted to anchor the threshold to the floor after the wrench has been removed from the hole.

This invention relates to an improved threshold, and in particular, to an adjustable threshold.

In the past, most thresholds have been fixedly secured to a floor in a position beneath the door. Some thresholds are made in an adjustable form, but these have certain disadvantages.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable threshold which does not appear to the viewer to be adjustable after it has been installed. Another object is to provide an adjustable threshold having leaves or side plates pivotally connected thereto. Another object is to provide a threshold having means thereon for receiving a slidable nut for adjusting the height of the threshold above the loor Another object is to provide an arrangement in which the adjustment may be made by a wrench through a hole in the threshold through which a vertical screw is then inserted to secure the threshold to the floor after the wrench has been removed from said hole. Another object is to provide an adjustable threshold which requires only a few spaced fasteners through the central riser and which requires no fasteners to be placed through the side plates to the floor.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The present invention is embodied in an adjustable threshold having side plates pivotally connected thereto, said threshold having downwardly extending walls with inwardly turned flanges thereon for receiving a longitudinally slidable nut-pedestal for adjusting the height oi the threshold above the oor, said adjustment capable of being made by inserting a wrench through a hole in the threshold through which a vertical screw is inserted to anchor the threshold to the floor after the wrench has been removed from the hole.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like numerals and letters refer to like parts wherever they occur:

FIG. l is a top plan view of a threshold embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the nut and pedestal before the pedestal has been threaded into the nut and the nut slipped into the central riser of the threshold,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of an adjusting wrench, and

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but of a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the `embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises an adjustable thresholdT having a threshold or central riser 1 to which two side plates 2 and 3 are pivotally connected. The central riser 1 has slidable means or a nut 4 and a pedestal 5 connected thereto for adjusting the top surface 6 of the central riser 1 to a predetermined distance above the iioor 7. t

The central riser'l has a top portion '8 with downwardly extending walls 9 and 10 having inturned flanges 11 and 12 at the bottom thereof. The wall 9 has a socket 13 in its upper portion. The other wall 10 has a socket 14 in its lower portion. The side plate 2 is dimensioned to connect the top surface 6 of the central riser 1 with the floor 7. The side plate 2 has a foot 15 at its lower end and a rib 16 at its upper end, said rib 16 fitting into the socket 13. The side plate 2 has openings 17 at spaced intervals for receiving screws 18. The other side plate 3 has a foot 19 which rests on the floor 7, an upwardly inclined portion extending to a point 20 below the top surface 6, a downwardly turned portion 21 which is hidden from view and which terminates in a rib 22 which fits in the socket 14. The side plate 3 has openings 23 at spaced intervals for receiving screws 24.

The nut 4 has a central opening 25 with threads 26 therein. The nut 4 has two longitudinal cut-out portions 27 which form shoulders 28 thereon and a central guide portion 29 which extends downwardly between the inner ends of the intumed anges 11 and 12. The pedestal 5 has a washer or base 30 with an upstanding portion 31 having external threads 32 thereon which cooperate with the internal threads 26 of the nut 4, The upstanding portion 31 and the base 30 have a central opening 33 therethrough, at least the upper part of which has a polygonal opening 34 therein, such as a hexagonal opening, adapted to receive a hexagonal wrench 35. The wrench 35 is adapted to fit through an opening 36 in the top surface 6 to rotate the pedestal 5 with respect to the nut 4, which is prevented from rotating since it is held rmly within and between the walls 9 and 10 and flanges 11 and 12 of the central riser 1. The opening 36 in the central riser 1 and the central opening 33 are suiiciently large to receive a large screw 37 at spaced intervals.

In practice, a threshold T of predetermined length is shipped to the user with the side plates in assembled relation with the central riser 1. However, if desired, the side plates 2 and 3 may be assembled by the user to the central riser 1 by inserting the ribs 16 and 22 of said side plates 2 and 3 longitudinally into the sockets 13 and 14 on the central riser 1. In this position, the side plates 2 and 3 are free to pivot with respect to the central riser 1. Similarly, a nut-pedestal or height adjusting assembly may be inserted into the open end of the central riser 1 so that the shoulders 28 on the nut 4 contact and slide upon the inturned flanges 11 and 12 and the central guide 29 is' positioned between the inwardly facing surfaces of said inturned anges 11 and 12. A nut-pedestal assembly is guided to a point wherein the opening 33 therein is below the opening 36 in the top surface `6 of the central riser 1. A wrench 35 is then inserted through said opening 36 into the polygonal opening 34 to rotate the pedestal 5 with respect to the nut 4, thereby causing the top surface 6 to raise or lower with respect to the floor 7. When the top surface 6 is at the desired height, the wrench 35 is withdrawn and a screw 37 is inserted into the opening 36 and screwed into the floor 7 to secure the threshold T to the floor 7. The nut-pedestal assembly beneath each other opening 36 in the top surface 6 is similarly adjusted in height with a wrench 35 and screws 37 are inserted therein after the wrench 35 has been withdrawn. Thereafter, the screws 18 and 24 are inserted through 3 the side plates 2 and 3 to fasten them to the oor so that their feet 15 and 19 are in tight contact with the floor 7. As the central riser 1 is moved up and down before these screws 18 and 24 have been applied, the side plates 2 and 3 are free to pivot within the sockets 13 and 14 on the central riser 1.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIG 5 which eliminates the screws 18 and 24 in the leaves or side plates 2 and 3. In this modification, each leaf 2 and 3 is provided with a socket 38 near t-he lower edges 15 and 19 thereof for receiving a bead or rib 39 on one of two horizontal leaf anchor plates 40 and 41. The leaf anchor plates 40 and 41 extend inwardly toward each other from the bottom edges 15 and 19 of the leaves 2 and 3, under the washer 30 so that the central screw 37 inserted through the threshold T secures the entire assembly T to the oor. The anchor plates 40 and 41 have transverse slots therein extending inwardly from their innermost edges 46 and 47 to accommodate the large screw 37 which is inserted through the top opening 36 in the top surface 6.

In the modified form shown in FIG. 5, the nut-pedestal assembly is preferably shipped in assembled relation, with the side plates 2 and 3 and the anchor plates 40 and 41 assembled to each other by the rib and socket arrangements shown. To install the modified form, the nutpedestal assembly is adjusted as in the principal form by inserting a wrench 35 through the opening to rotate the pedestal 5 with respect to the nut 4 to raise or lower the top surface 6. As the surface 6 moves up or down, the side plates 2 and 3 are free to pivot so that their feet 15 and 19 remain on the floor at all times. As said side plates 2 and 3 pivot, the anchor plates 40 and 41 slide horizontally toward or away from one another. This automatic action results from the rib and socket arrangements at the top and bottom of each side plate. When the surface 6 is at the desired height, a large screw 37 is inserted through the opening 36 to secure the modified threshold T to the floor with a minimum of screws 37 being required.

In a typical installation involving a door and threshold about three feet wide, only three screws 37 need be used, one in the center and one about 8" inwardly of each side edge thereof. As best shown in FIG. 2 in dotted lines, a door 42 with a depending portion 43 having weather stripping 44 thereon is adapted to cooperate with the threshold T- In some kinds of installations a saddle threshold is used. In a saddle threshold, similar leaves 2 are positioned on either side of the central riser 1 of the threshold T. That is, a second leaf 2 is substituted for the leaf 3 so as to provide a symmetrical construction without an opening 45 on one side for receiving the weather stripping of a door.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1,. An adjustable threshold having side plates pivotally connected thereto, said adjustable threshold having a central riser with a top surface and with downwardly extending walls having inwardly extending flanges thereon, slidable means mounted in said central riser in sliding relation on said flanges, said slidable means being adjustably connected to a pedestal, and means in said pedestal for adjusting the height of said threshold above the floor on which said adjustable threshold is to be mounted, said sliding means and said pedestal being adapted to be adjusted through a hole in said top surface of said central riser, and thereafter said threshold being adapted to be secured to a floor by means permanently extending through said hole into the floor.

2. The adjustable threshold set forth in claim 1 wherein said slidable means mounted in said central riser comprises a nut having an opening therethrough and cut-out portions along its bottom for receiving said inwardly extending tianges in sliding relation.

3. The adjustable threshold set forth in claim 2 wherein said pedestal has an upstanding portion with external threads adapted to be screwed into the internal threads in said nut, said upstanding portion having a hole therethrough with polygonal walls adapted to receive a polygonal tool, said tool adapted to be inserted into said pedestal through an opening in the top surface of said threshold for adjusting the height thereof.

4. The adjustable threshold set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said side plates has a socket on its inner surface near the bottom thereof, said socket adapted to receive a rib on a spacer strip, said spacer strip extending in contacting relation with the floor under said side plate and adapted to be maintained against said floor by downwardly extending means extending through said central riser.

5. The adjustable threshold set forth in claim 1 wherein said side plates have lower sockets on their inner surfaces and wherein a spacer strip with a rib thereon at its outer edge is pivotally received in each of said lower sockets, said top surface of said central riser having holes therein at spaced intervals for receiving screws to receive said threshold to a floor, said spacer strips having slots therein adjacent to said screws to permit said spacer strips to overlap each other and pass beyond said screws.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,875,495 9/1932 Reese 49-470 X 2,089,380 `8/ 1937 Kammerer.

2,129,381 9/1938 Oftedal et al 49-470 X 2,730,773 1/1956 Logue 49-505 X 2,947,043 8/ 1960 Klemma 49-469 X 3,114,180 12/ 1963 Riedl 49-468 3,235,917 2/1966 Skubic 49-468 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner, P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner, 

